OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — To look at Scott Frost's firing by the numbers, you have to start with Saturday night.
Georgia Southern's new-look offense put up 642 yards on the Blackshirts. That's the most ever they've allowed at Memorial Stadium, and the third most of all time. The Huskers had been 214-0 when scoring 35 or more points at home, according to the Omaha World-Herald. But they lost 42-45 on Saturday.
Frost: 16-31
Frost's record in a little over four seasons put him at a winning percentage of just 34%. Only Bill Jennings, who preceded Bob Devaney, was worse among Husker coaches who stayed for at least three seasons.
The biggest buyout
Frost is now the fifth coach since the success of the '90s to be paid to leave. He'll get about $16 million, according to the Omaha World-Herald. The buyout was set to drop in half on Oct. 1. Frost would've been due more if he was fired at the end of last season, about $20.4 million.
Even if it would have, it would have been more than the Husker coaches of recent memory who were paid to leave. Bo Pelini and Mike Riley both received more than $6 million, according to the Omaha World-Herald. Bill Callahan received more than $3 million. Frank Solich received about $762,000, per a December 2003 ESPN report. Though other reports from the time of his firing indicated he'd be due more.
That's not to mention basketball coaches and athletic directors who have received buyouts. A 2020 study from AthleticDirectorU found Nebraska had paid the most in football and men's basketball severance payments since 2005. Though they couldn't get the full 15 years for all schools.
Big Ten, big dollars
Nebraska's conference advantage is about to pay big time. When the new Big Ten media rights deal kicks in next summer, schools are expected to make about$80-100 million annually. That's well more than Nebraska had been making from Big Ten media rights in recent years. Nebraska has the first Big Ten football job opening since the deal was announced.
Alberts said Nebraska is well equipped to pay its next coach the rising market rate for college football coaches.
